David Jacobs completes unique double, secures treble

09 Oct 2018

The winner in late June in Las Vegas, securing the Men’s Singles 40-44 Years title at the 2018 World Veteran Championships, the host nation’s David Jacobs completed a unique double on Tuesday 9th October in Jakarta, Indonesia.

He won the Men’s Singles Class 10 event and thus retained the title won four years ago in Incheon, Korea Republic; furthermore, he added to his list of continental successes to make it a treble. In 2015 in Amman he had secured gold at the Asian Para Championships.

At the final hurdle, he beat China’s Lian Hao (11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 17-15) to secure Indonesia’s first gold medal in the table tennis events; earlier at the semi-final stage he had overcome Kong Weijie, the no.4 seed (11-7, 11-4, 11-2), in the opposite half of the draw Lian Hao had ended the hopes of Malaysia’s Mohamad Azwar Bakar, the no.3 seed (11-4, 13-11, 11-3).

Success for David Jacobs and as the standing categories brought the Men’s Singles events to a close, there were also wins for the players whose name stood at the top of the order.

Gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Thailand’s Rungroj Thainiyom emerged the Class 6 winner. He accounted for the Korea Republic’s Park Hong Kyu, the no.2 seed, in the final (11-3, 11-7, 11-7), after having recorded a penultimate round success in opposition to China’s Chen Chao (11-4, 11-6, 11-6).

Imposing performances from David Jacobs and Rungroj Thainiyom; it was the same from the Chinese duo of Zhao Shuai and Zhao Yi Qing. The defending champion, Zhao Shuai secured the Class 8 title beating colleague, Ye Chao Qun, the no.2 seed in the final (11-6, 11-4, 11-1), after having recorded a semi-final success in opposition to Thailand’s Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri, the no.3 seed, a contest in which he nearly came to grief. He lost the opening two games before winning the next three (9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8).

Titles for China, Indonesia and Thailand; there was also success for Korea Republic, in fact there was gold and silver. Kim Gitae beat colleague, Jeoung Kyuyoung, the no.2 seed (11-8, 12-10, 11-1) to secure the top step of the podium in Class 11. At the semi-final stage, both had ended Japanese hopes. Kim Gitae had beaten Roshiya Takahashi (11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8), Jeong Kyuyoung had ended the hopes of Yudai Kikawada (11-8, 11-9, 11-8).

The Men’s Singles events complete, attention now turns to the Men’s Doubles competitions, play concludes in Jakarta on Saturday 13th October.